Rambler 100 sails away with Pineapple Cup

For a sport that receives very little support in Jamaica, yacht racing enthusiasts - locally and internationally - continue to flock the Montego Bay Yacht Club to see the Pineapple Cup-Montego Bay Race.

This year marks the 50th renewal of the Pineapple Race. The sailing course always leaves Fort Lauderdale in the United States on the first weekend in February.

Yacht racing is a highly technical and expensive sport, which has seen the likes of Ted Turner and Virgin Atlantic's Sir Richard Branson. This year, Sir Richard's yacht - The Rambler 100 - crossed the finish line first to cop the 2011 Pineapple Cup-Montego Bay Race.

"This is a really important race for Jamaica as the potential for up to 400 people coming into Montego Bay and spending a week here, it's putting a lot of money in different pockets," said race coordinator Evelyn Harrington.

She further added that Jamaica gets a lot of positive publicity through hosting this event, which is something the country can be proud of as it adds value to the tourism product.

With no corporate sponsorship to host crews which participate in this sporting activity, Harrington explained that they have had to rely on some good Samaritans to ensure crew members receive a warm welcome.

"The whole race is run with volunteers. We are very proud that the Montego Bay Yacht Club is very small in some ways, but it has a really big heart," said Harrington.

"The Jamaica Defence Force has really been there for us, too, and we have to express our gratitude for their assitance. Red Stripe has given us beers so we can offer the crew members a nice cold beer upon arrival. Little things like these really help to make their experience here warm and welcoming," she added.